According to The Athletic, Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy is set to be offered a new deal as the club look to ward off suitors who’ve been impressed by his loan spell at Lincoln City.
The 18-year-old, who signed pro terms in January 2021, has become a mainstay at right-back under manager Michael Appleton and is seen as a candidate to provide back-up to Takehiro Tomiyasu in the long term.
As things stand, Cedric Soares is filling that role but it’s possible the 30-year-old, who is out of contract in 2024, could look for regular football elsewhere this summer.
While Hector Bellerin’s loan spell at Real Betis ends in July, he too is expected to leave the club on a permanent basis.
The @LincolnCity_FC manager Michael Appleton says the club WILL appeal on loan @Arsenal defender @brookenc2 red card from Saturday’s win at @AFCWimbledon .
Pic:@bubstgway pic.twitter.com/gIocFqiAZu
— BBC Sport Lincolnshire (@BBCSportLincs) March 14, 2022
While Norton-Cuffy has taken to senior football seamlessly at Sincil Bank, he’s currently licking his wounds following a harsh red card at AFC Wimbledon at the weekend.
The Imps have since confirmed they are appealing the decision – made after the player shoved an opponent off the ball – and hope he won’t be missing for three games.
Confirmation of a new Arsenal contract is unlikely to come before he returns to the club in the summer. His chance to stake a claim to a first team place will come in the summer.
The guy must be very good with all this attention.
Have you seen his YouTube reel? He’s a bonafide sicko my friend.
I like that he looks quite big. I loved Bellerin- despite his loss of form his final couple of years- but I really missed having good, physical fullbacks a la Lauren, Sagna etc. Tierney isn’t big but is definitely stronger than his stature suggests, while Tavares must be over 6 foot, as is Tomiyasu. I still remember how effective that outball from the keeper to Sagna was like ten years ago. Won every header and got us position high up the pitch. Was watching our players against Leicester and the thing that struck me was how physical they all are.… Read more »
Ralph was great. Loved the way he kicked Ronaldo everytime we played against them.
Soares having a contract until 2024 makes me feel a bit sick.
i think we have done it so that we can sell him for a small fee soon (next 3 windows)
Are you one of those stubborn people who don’t change perceptions? In my opinion, he hasn’t put a foot wrong at all since filling in for Tomiyasu and more than deserves his place in the team
He’s gonna get tested against Robertson tomorrow. Yes, he’s done well but we have to constantly look to improve to be elite, and he is currently our weakest link……but I say that in the nicest possible way as he has a great attitude and has done really well since coming in👍
Let’s not forget that he is not first choice, he is back up to Tomiyasu who is elite so as back ups go, he isn’t half bad
Yep and yep below 👍👍
It’s a testament to the progress that our weakest link is now a player who hasn’t cost us any points in his recent run of starts.
I agree that he’s not at the same level as others in the starting 11 but IF we are in Europe next season we will need squad players that come in and do a job without bringing the level of our play down.
Some keep saying before every match he’s going to be tested. Harvey Barnes was supposed to be a big test which Cedric came through well. Have more faith.
Spot on. 👍🍺
Hear hear – see my comment in the Leicester ratings about the boo-boys on Partey and Ode last year. They’re still all over Pepe when the bloke clearly has serious talent and just needs a decent run of games to show it.
Cedric has hardly put a foot wrong since coming back in for Tomi – credit where it due, ffs!
So believing that signing a player on a 4 year deal when he barely played a game for us is wrong is being stubborn. He has been fine against okay opposition but it scares the life out of me thinking of him coming up against Mane. Besides, the deal having been organised by Kia pollutes my thinking.
It would be wrong to bring him back next year only to keep him on the bench as a back-up to Tomiyasu. The guy’s 18-year-old and needs to play regularly at this stage of his career.
One more seasons on loan would be ideal, then we let Soares go and bring back Norton-Cuffy to challenge Tomiyasu.
I agree, follow the Saliba model, fans have moaned but it’s paying off in spades.
I am still not sure we’re ever gonna see Saliba in an arsenal shirt again.
What do you mean “again?”
Loan him to Nottingham Forest next season, Spence will be purchased by a premier league team but Forest are a team on the up so going there would be great
Despite my post, I think you are right. Sound thinking there. He does need to play football. And at 18, another year playing regularly would be best for his development.
Watching the EFL on Quest highlights he’s done very well since joining Lincoln in Jan. He’s scored a cracking goal the weekend before last. The Lincoln City fans on Twitter were calling him Brooke Norton-Cafu after that!!!
Bloody hell – they card us even when we’re wearing a different club’s shirt, ffs!
Hale End has a good track record of producing first team quality fullbacks. Hopefully Brooke is next in line.
He’s an outstanding prospect for us. Had my eye on his progress for about a year now. He gives off the same vibes that Sake did when he was at junior level. He’s got the strength, technical ability to make the step up to senior football. He just needs the tactical education of senior level football but providing that education to talented youngsters is one of Arteta’s many strengths as a manager. I think he could be phased into the Tomiyasu back up role next season, assuming Takehiro gets passed these annoying calf injuries and returns to his best.
Tommy and Sake, there’s a combo to get drunk on